Bowen responds to UN criticism of Nauru detention

Australia's Immigration Minister says offshore processing for asylum seekers is the right course of action, despite a damning United Nations report into conditions on Nauru.

A report by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has found Australia's 'no-advantage' concept for processing refugee claims is inconsistent with its responsibilities under the refugee convention.

It also found asylum seekers on Nauru lived in harsh conditions with little privacy and limited services for those suffering from trauma and the effects of torture.

But the Australian Immigration Minister, Chris Bowen, says services at the detention centre are adequate.

"This centre had been set up quickly and there are more services being provided over time," he said.

"And the UNHCR obviously would recognise that when there is a permanent structure, permanent buildings and the capacity to move around Nauru, that will be a significant step forward and that will happen in the not-too-distant future."

Mr Bowen says the Australian Government remains committed to establishing a permanent detention facility on Nauru.

"We continue to work closely with the government of Nauru regarding the full assessment of asylum claims, which will begin early in the new year. Initial interviews have already commenced to gather biographical data and other relevant information.

"It should also be recognised that UNHCR has had a longstanding position of opposition to offshore processing on Nauru that goes back to the operation of a facility on Nauru under the previous government."

The Greens have long argued against Australia's policy of offshore processing and have used the report to renew their criticism of the government's treatment of asylum seekers.

"The government must urgently change track and work with the Greens to establish a humane, legal and safe approach to asylum seekers who are asking Australia for assistance," Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.

UNHCR report

The UNHCR says the arrangements at the Nauru detention centre do not meet international protection standards, and that the government's so-called no advantage policy is inconsistent with Australia's responsibilities under the refugee convention.

It raised concerns about delays in processing refugee claims, arguing that such applications should be dealt with "as a matter of urgency".

"The current uncertainty about responsibilities for different aspects of processing and ongoing delays in the commencement of such processing are likely, together, to have a significant and detrimental impact on the mental and physical health of asylum seekers transferred from Australia to Nauru over time," the report states.

The inspectors have also questioned the capacity of the island's health services to properly deal with what has been described as a "steady and rapid" increase in mental health concerns.

They say conditions in the centre are "congested" and "harsh" with little natural shelter from the heat during the day, something that is exacerbated by the significant noise and dust coming from the construction of permanent facilities.

The UNHCR notes that protracted detention in difficult conditions with no clear legal process will lead to significant and long-term harm, including attempted suicides.

"The best thing that can happen to them is they be given regular up-to-date briefings by government officials of Australia and Nauru on what their processes are all about," the UNHCR's regional representative Richard Towle told ABC News.

"That, I think, is very important to provide certainty for people in this very difficult physical environment they find themselves in."